James Cameron Hails Godzilla Minus One Director, Pitches Team-Up
Fresh off praising the Oscar-winning Godzilla Minus One, Avatar creator James Cameron is shooting his shot to join the sequel Godzilla Minus Zero, applauding the director and pitching a collaboration.
James Cameron flew to Tokyo, got genuinely excited about Godzilla, and then basically volunteered to help shoot the sequel. Not the headline I expected this week, but here we are.
What actually happened on stage
Cameron was in Japan for the first time in three years to introduce Avatar: Fire and Ash, which hits theaters December 19. Actor Ryubi Miyase joined him on stage, and then Takashi Yamazaki popped in unannounced, saying he came straight from shooting 'a certain monster movie.' He joked that he told his crew they had to be wrapped by 5 p.m. so he could make the meetup, and his team hustled to pull it off.
The chat turned to Godzilla Minus One, which Cameron praised to the rafters before looking ahead to the sequel, Godzilla Minus Zero. He even got playful about pitching in if Yamazaki needed an extra set of hands.
'If you get a little behind, I can come and do some second unit.'
Yamazaki cracked back that a Cameron assist might leave him with nothing left to direct. And, in a very human moment, Cameron referred to the sequel as 'Minus Two' on stage. Wrong number, right enthusiasm.
Where the sequel stands
Toho officially announced the Godzilla Minus One follow-up during Godzilla Fest 2025 in Tokyo. The title is Godzilla Minus Zero, and Yamazaki is returning as writer, director, and VFX supervisor. That tracks, considering Minus One just became the first film in the franchise’s 70-year history to win an Oscar, taking home Best Visual Effects.
The plan is a late 2026 theatrical release. No plot details yet, but the title points to a continuation of the post-war setting from Minus One. A lot of fans think this one nudges the timeline closer to Ishiro Honda’s 1954 original, which would keep the focus on nuclear anxiety and national recovery.
- Godzilla Minus Zero: late 2026 in theaters
- Takashi Yamazaki: back as writer/director/VFX supervisor
- Godzilla Minus One: first in the franchise to win an Academy Award (Best Visual Effects)
- James Cameron: offered to do second unit if Yamazaki falls behind; called the sequel 'Minus Two' in the moment
- Cameron’s Tokyo trip: first in three years, tied to Avatar: Fire and Ash (out December 19)
So, could Cameron actually jump in?
He was clearly joking, but when the guy behind Avatar and Aliens publicly volunteers to help on your monster movie, fans are going to start fantasy-casting a collaboration. Whether that becomes anything more than a fun moment is unknown, but it’s a cool meeting of two VFX-obsessed filmmakers regardless.
In the meantime, Avatar: Fire and Ash lands soon, and the countdown to Godzilla Minus Zero in 2026 is officially on.